This is an honest review of Fort II. No bias from kliks, just my own opinion of your work.

-BALANCE-

The map is reasonably well balanced, CT's arriving at the site at least 4 seconds earlier than T's, which gives them plenty of time to set up. The T's have height variation and plenty of choice on how to approach the site. Plenty of grenade throws are available to both teams because of the open design, a large open section in a wall above T scaffolding is perfect for smokes, molotovs and flashes and the walls connecting T main to site are great for bouncing grenades off of to further increase the skill ceiling of the map.

One problem I see with the layout is that T main is essentially a death box to a well aimed sniper on CT stairs, considering that they have cover, a height advantage and an easy target means it's hard to effectively push out T main as a T. A counter to this point is the utility grenades the T's have access to. I'm positive that a T could lob a smoke onto CT stairs from T scaffolding and block that sight line completely, making T main a viable route. It's hard to describe how balanced a map is, especially without having access to it in competitive play, I will change my review if I can set up a lobby with friends and play it in a more competitive environment however.

Personally, I prefer to take the ladder up to scaffolding and go "Highway" as I've been calling it.
With well placed aim and a few utility grenades I will usually get a pick on Expert bots, if not two. Of course, bots aren't an indicator of how people will play a map, but again, I don't have access to a competitive server with this map.

Playing on CT side is slightly balanced in your favor. You have plenty of time to set up, and find better positions. I especially like the skill jump from the shed roof onto the light, onto highway. It adds for so much variation in how I can play CT. Although, I am a bit disappointed you can't jump through the hole in the wall to T scaffolding. I would have loved to flank the T's and catch them by surprise.

Overall, I give the balancing an 7/10. T's must be more skilled than CT's to win.

-CLIPPING-

I found the map to be well clipped, a thing kliks pointed out in his review of "Surveillance". Stairs are smooth, and up to valve standards and I've not found any places to throw the bomb outside of the map, or get it stuck. However, you can throw your guns outside of the map, which I thought was odd considering you couldn't throw the bomb out the same way. I really liked that the broken walkway with the dirt and buried barrel wasn't clipped all the way down as a slope, instead being very natural and bumpy it was a good design choice.

The clipping on the stairs was great, but I do have a complaint about the CT stairs. It's the platform at the top. It annoyingly juts out into the stairs and blocks the left side of the path, I think that it should be removed or moved back into the wall on the left, giving us more space to walk around on the stairs.

Overall, I give the clipping a 10/10. Nothing wrong with the clipping, it's good!

-LAYOUT-

Here's where the map sort of falls apart a little. The layout is good, but it feels very tight and confined for the first third for each team. With little choice after you've made the first choice of "left or right". Here's an example:
Playing on the T side, you can continue straight or go up a ladder to site. If you don't go up the ladder, you follow one path in a fairly tight corridor toward site, and have to push through what can only be described as a death box. If you follow the ladder up, you follow one path toward the site and if you fall off the ledge, it takes a long time to get back up, or you follow the cramped path toward site.

T main, as I've been calling it is difficult to push out of if the CT team is competent. All they have to do is molotov it to stop the T's push completely, lest they take immense damage. Highway suffers the same fate, one molotov will completely halt progress, giving the CT's even more time to set up and watch angles. An easy way to get an advantage as a CT is to molotov highway from the ground, and do the skill jump up to highway. This gives you a height advantage over the T's who can't see you as well from up there. You can also sneak back into scaffolding and take the T's by surprise while they push main.

I feel this map lacks significant variation and will likely play out the same way a multitude of times. The T's have to be significantly more skilled than the CT's to beat them on this map.

Once the T's push out of highway or main though, the map becomes a wide open shooting gallery with good cover and spots to hide. The initial push is hard, but I found this area to be quite fun to play in, on both teams.

Overall, I give the layout a 6/10. Lacks variation in how T's play, gives CT's advantage.

-CLOSING REMARKS-

There are a few lighting errors near CT spawn, namely being the grass, stairs and props near the floor. It gives off an unnatural blue light at the base of the object, which disappears quickly up the wall.

Where did the CT's come from? They just appear in a closed off area with no way of being there except where you walk to go to site.

CT's should have SAS models because the castle seems English in origin.

Just a bunch of misjointed ideas for "fixing" the map.

-Open up that wall to be a one way drop from highway to scaffold
-Remove that platform on CT stairs or push it into the wall
-Add a new path for T's to come from
-Give some cover for the T's at T main.

In the end, Fort II is a minorly flawed map, but thoroughly enjoyable against bots, and probably against people. I will update this review if I get the chance to play against human beings and formulate actual strategies to win consistently on T side. Thank you for reading my review, and I hope you make some small adjustments to your map soon.

This map scored 76% out of 100%. or rather, 23/30 for the different judged parts.

-Jacket.